Inside Vancouver

Top 5 Victoria Day Long Weekend Daytrips from Vancouver

by Remy Scalza in Outside on May 16, 2012

Photo credit: jvde | Flickr

Planning a staycation for this Victoria Day Long Weekend? Don’t worry – You can still get out of the city, soak up B.C.’s natural splendours and be home in time for dinner.

Here are five long weekend daytrip ideas. All of these options are within a 90-minute drive of downtown Vancouver and emphasize the great outdoors. Got more ideas? Please comment below.

Whytecliff Park: This 15-hectare waterfront park in Horseshoe Bay is only 30-45 minutes from the concrete jungles of downtown Vancouver. It features a small, sandy beach, cliffs plunging dramatically to the brisk waters of Howe Sound and even a little island you can swim to that sits just offshore. For families, there’s a large grassy picnic area with changing rooms.

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Top 5 Victoria Day Long Weekend Daytrips from Vancouver

Quirky Chinatown: Top 5

by Remy Scalza in Town on October 18, 2011

Last week, Vancouver’s Chinatown was declared a national historic site by the federal government. The three blocks along Pender Streer, from Gore Avenue to Taylor Street, now join 956 other national historic sites around the country.

The new designation got me thinking about what Chinatown has to offer. For tourists, it’s a must see, but many Vancouverites rarely venture through the colourful Millennium Gate on Pender to explore what’s inside.

So I’ve come up with a short, quirky list of some of the overlooked (and not-so-overlooked) charms of Chinatown. Here goes:

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Quirky Chinatown: Top 5

Labour Day Sales – Top 5 Vancouver Fashion Destinations

by Dana Lynch in Shop on August 26, 2011

Shopping the boutiques in Yaletown, one of the Top 5 Vancouver Fashion Destinations.

Labour Day weekend is just a week away, which means all of Vancouver’s top shopping destinations will be having sales on end-of-season fashion, back-to-school fashion, and more.

Top 5 Vancouver Fashion Destinations for Labour Day Sales

1. Brand Name Shopping: Robson Street & Downtown
Vancouver’s most famous shopping mecca is downtown’s Robson Street, along with the Pacific Centre Mall and department stores around Granville Street & Robson. If you love big, international brands, this is the place to go. And don’t forget to check out the luxury Canadian department store Holt Renfrew. End-of-season sales are the best time to find deals on Holt Renfrew’s (otherwise very expensive) high-end designer fashion and accessories.

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Labour Day Sales – Top 5 Vancouver Fashion Destinations

Easter Brunch in Vancouver 2011 – Top Spots for Easter Brunch

by Dana Lynch in Food & Drink on April 20, 2011

Cafe Pacifica at the Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver

Easter brunch is a tradition for many families, and dining out at one of Vancouver’s best Easter brunch spots is a great way to have a delicious meal and make the day memorable at the same time.

All Easter brunches take place on Sunday, April 24, 2011.

Top 5 Vancouver Easter Brunch Spots

1. Café Pacifica at the Pan Pacific Hotel
Boasting one of the best waterfront views in the city, Café Pacifica is well-known—and loved—for its lavish Easter brunch buffet. Their 2011 Easter brunch includes their famous Callebaut Chocolate Fountain, live entertainment, a huge assortment of West Coast delicacies, and a visit from the Easter Bunny. $69 per person, $59 for seniors & teens, $34.50 for children 6-12, free for children under 5.

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Easter Brunch in Vancouver 2011 – Top Spots for Easter Brunch

Top 5 Vancouver Parks for Strollers & Wheelchairs

by Dana Lynch in Outside on April 12, 2011

Paved walkways perfect for wheels at Queen Elizabeth Park Quarry Garden. Photo: Dana Lynch

As the mother of a one-year old, I’m always looking for places to take the kid. When the weather is gorgeous, one of Vancouver’s beautiful parks should be the ideal day trip. But not all of Vancouver’s great outdoor spaces are stroller- or wheelchair-friendly. And there’s nothing more disappointing than reaching your destination only to realize that you can’t actually do anything while there.

So I’ve compiled a quick list of the Top 5 Best Vancouver Parks for Strollers & Wheelchairs:

1. Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth Park is the perfect wheelchair- and stroller-accessible park. Not only can you wind your way through both its quarry gardens on wheels (there are even wheelchair symbols painted on the pathways to guide you), you can enjoy the top of the park, too, including the dancing fountains and Bloedel Floral Conservatory.

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Top 5 Vancouver Parks for Strollers & Wheelchairs

Top 5 Vancouver Chocolatiers & Boutique Chocolate Shops

by Dana Lynch in Insider on February 12, 2011

Photo: Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates

Whether you’re buying chocolate for Valentine’s Day, for yourself, as a gift, or even as a Vancouver souvenir, these decadent and divine Vancouver chocolatiers are making some of the best candy you have ever tasted! From bon bons and truffles to traditional Belgian delicacies, these artisan chocolates often incorporate regional and B.C. ingredients, giving these treats genuine local flavour.

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Top 5 Vancouver Chocolatiers & Boutique Chocolate Shops

Inside Metropolis at Metrotown – 5 Reasons to Shop at B.C.’s Biggest Mall

by Dana Lynch in Insider on January 8, 2011

Metropolis at Metrotown. Photo: Dana Lynch

With all the amazing local shopping in Vancouver, it’s not often that I feel like going to a mall. But there are definite advantages to mall shopping: it’s indoors (so no worry about the weather), it’s all-inclusive (everything you need in one place), and the parking is (usually) free. And when it comes to mall shopping in the Lower Mainland—all of B.C., actually—there is one place you have to see to believe: Metropolis at Metrotown.

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Inside Metropolis at Metrotown – 5 Reasons to Shop at B.C.’s Biggest Mall